Edward d



' (No Model.)

B. D. WOODS. SHIPPERS TOOL.

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EDIVARD D. IVOODS, OF MANCHESTER, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNH. VVHIPPLE, OF SAME PLACE.

SHIPPERS TOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,955, datedSeptember 1, 1896.

Application filed september 23, 1895. Serial No. 563,375. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. \VOODs, of Manchester, in the county ofBennington and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Shippers Tools,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to tools for shippers, merchants, and others whoreceive and send off packing-receptacles. In unpacking, re-

IO boxing, and readdressing packages, boxes, and the like it isnecessary to use at least three distinct tools, namely, anail-extractor,a hammer, and an eraser, which, being inde pendent of each other, arelikely to be mislaid or lost. Hence the object of my invention is toprovide a single tool which may be em ployed in extracting the nails, soas to re; move a portion of the box or receptacle, nailing the looseportion on the receptacle again,

and erasing or planing off the old printed or painted address, so that anew shipping-address may be repainted or printed thereon. The object inproviding a single tool is to combine the parts so that they shall notbe separated or lost, so as to decrease the number of parts necessary toform the three tools, and by simplifying the tool decrease the cost ofmanufacture thereof.

My invention has many other objects which 0 it is unnecessary here toenumerate, further than to state that they are to provide an extractorwhich may be easily operated without greatly injuring the box orreceptacle and Without bending the nails in withdrawing 3 5 them; toprovide the extractor with two grippers attached to two handles, withone of the grippers slightly movable relatively to its handle, wherebyabetter grasp of the nail may be obtained; to provide one of the handleswith 0 a head, whereby the tool may be used as a hammer; to provide thetool with a scraper or eraser attachment, and to so construct all of theparts that they shall mutually contribute to hold the attachment inplace and take the spring of the blade, so as to prevent it fromvibrating as it is drawn over the surface to be erased or planed.

To these ends the invention consists of a tool so constructed andarranged as to serve the purposes above set forth, all as I shall nowproceed to describe with particularity, and set forth in the appendedclaims.

Reference is to be had to the annexed drawings, and to the lettersmarked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same lettersdesignating the same parts or features, as the case may be, whereverthey occur.

On the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved tool,showin g it with the parts in the positions adapting it to be used as ahammer. Fig. 2 isa side elevation of the tool, partially in section,showing the scraper or eraser attachment in place ready for use. Fig. 3is a plan view of the same, the end of the handle being broken off. Fig.4 shows the movable gripper detached from its socket in the handle, aportion of the latter being also illustrated. Fig. 5 is a horizontalsection through the movable gripper and a portion of the handle. Fig. 6is a perspective view of the scraper attachment. Fig. 7 is a similarView showing another form in which the scraper attachment may be made.Fig. 8 shows the tool as it appears just as a nail is gripped and aboutto be withdrawn. Fig. 9 illustrates the positions assumed by the partsof the tool when a nail is being gripped.

In carrying out my invention I have had in View the constructing,combining, and arranging of the parts of my tool whereby they shallcoact in their peculiar relations to best adapt the tool for use as ahammer, a nailextractor, and a scraper or eraser, as will appear fromthe following description.

a 1) indicate two handle-bars provided with riveted semicylindricalwooden or other strips a b to adapt them to be easily grasped by thehands of the operators. These handie-bars are preferably formed of steelto withstand the sudden strains put upon them, the handle a being formedat its end into a gripper o.

d d are side bars riveted or otherwise rigidly secured on both sides ofthe end handle- 5 bar a, and curved as shown, so as to project forwardat an angle thereto. Between the ends of the said side bars I rigidlysecure a driving-head 6, so as to adapt the tool to be used as a hammer.It also serves for [Q0 other purposes which will be hereinafter referredto. p

The handle-bar b is slightly longer than handle-bar a and is pivotallymounted between the side bars d. Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, it will beseen that the end of the handle-bar Z) is square and that it is providedwith a circular aperture or soeketf and a recess f ,thereby forming twoarm sficonnected by a web f g is a gripper having a cylindrical portiong, connected therewith by a neck 9 which is cut away, so as to beslightly thinner than the rest of the gripper. The cylindrical portion gfits in the socket f, and the neck g lies in the recess f between thetwo arms f and being of a cross-diameter less than the distance betweensaid arms can have a limited oscillatory movement. The cylindricalportion g of the gripper is centrally perforated at g to receive apivot-bolt h, which passes through apertures in the side bars d and isthreaded on its end to receive milled nut h. Thus it will be seen thatwhen the gripper is mounted in the end of the handlebar and they areboth slipped between the side bars the pivot-bolt passing through thegripper will hold them both in place. The two grippers c and g are ofthe same shape upon the outer ends, each having a small finger z'with aflat end 2", between which the nail may be grasped in extracting it.There is a sharp edge 2' which will cut into the wood far enough toenable the nail to be grasped between the fiat surfaces, the fingersprojecting far enough beyond the side of the gripper to leave a spacebetween the grippers for the head of the nail, as shown in Fig. 8.

It is of essence in my invention that one of the grippers shall have alimited movement relatively to its handle-bar, as I shall now show. Inemploying the tool as an extractor, the handle-bars are spread apart, asshown in Fig. 9, with the finger of gripper g pressing against the woodof the box or receptacle and beside the head of the nail. The finger ofgripper c is at a distance from the head of the nail, either slightlybelow the edge of the box-cover or upon the surface thereof, as in Fig.9. Then firmly grasping both handles a downward pressure is exerted, thehandles being separated at the same time. The handle b will swing on itspivot-pin h, and the edge of the finger of the gripper 9 will sink intothe wood beside the nail, but will not move otherwise, while the edge ofthe finger of gripper 0 being stifi or rigid with its handle-bar willcut down into the wood, swinging on the pivot-pin h as afulcrum. In thisway I am enabled to sink the fingers of the grippers down sufficientlyto enable the head of the nail to be grasped between the two surfacesindicated at i or the body of the nail to be grasped between the flatends 1" of the gripper-fingers. Thus, although I provide sharp edges tosink into or cut down into the fiber of the wood, yet the nail isgrasped between two flat surfaces. \Vere both the two grippers rigidwith the handle-bars, instead of having one handle swing on its pivotwhile the end of the gripper remained stationary, except to sink intothe wood, the two edges would have a positive movement toward each otherand would shear off the head of the nail or fail to grasp it.

hen the nail has been grasped, as illustrated in Fig. 8, the end 6 ofthe head or the side bars is rested against the box and operates as afulcrum when the handles (still held firmly apart) are swung bodilyupward to withdraw the nail. By reason of the length of the side barsthe fulcrum is at a distance from the nail, and the fingers of thegrippers move in a curved path that so nearly approaches a straight linethat the nail is practically straight after it has been extracted. Itwill be observed that the grippers are in such relationship thata spaceis left between the surfaces i wide enough to allow a nail to projectthrough it, so that in extracting a very large nail the latter may bepartially withdrawn and the grippers released and slipped down, so as toobtain a new grasp of the nail. It will be observed that the head 6 isof such length that it can abut against the handle I) and serve as astop, in case the edges of the grippers should slip, and prevent thegrippers from meeting and injuring each other; and it will be furtherobserved that when the handles a and b are parallel, as in Fig. 1, topermit of the tool being used as a hammer, the movable gripper liesentirely between and within the side bars d, so that it may not beinjured in any way. The side bars, the grippers, the handles, and thedriving-head, as has just been shown, mutually contribute to insure aperfect operation in extracting the nail. I

In order that the tool. may be employed for erasing the printed name,address, and other marks that may be upon the box or receptacle, Iprovide an eraser or scraper attachment m, such as illustrated in Fig.6. It has a blade on, shank m with an inclined shoulder m aforwardly-extending arm m and a downwardly-projecting finger m. Theshank m is of a width equal to the distance between the side bars cl, sothat when it is desired to put the attachment in place the shank isslipped up between the said bars, and the arm m and the finger m fit,respectively, in a groove and a recess in the head 6. Then thehandle-bar b, which had been swung on its pivot to allow the attachmentto be put in place, is swung back into the position shown in Fig. 2, andthe finger i of gripper g rests on the inclined shoulders of the shankof the attachment and holds the shank down and close against the side ofthe head 2, thus looking it in place. The blade of the scraper is bentso that it rests against the head when locked in place, and when thescraper is drawn over the wood the head takes the spring of the bladeand prevents it from vibrating.

ICC

The head is of such length that one edge of it rests on the box and actsas a gage to prevent the blade from sinking too deep into the fibers ofthe wood when it is drawn forward, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.Hence it will be again observed that the head, the gripper, and thescraper all coact in removing from the exterior of the box the marks orprinted directions.

In Fig. 7 I have illustrated how the arm m may be struck out with a dieso as to extend laterally from the shank of the scraper attachment andthen bent to the rear, the shank being twisted in the operation.

The parts of my tool maybe drop-forged or drawn out of steel, and are ofgreat strength; and the handle-bars are so pivoted together that Iobtain an enormous leverage to enable the gripper to grasp the nail verypowerfully.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forthall of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use,it is declared that what is claimed is- 1. A nail-extractor comprisingin its construction, two handle-bars, a gripper secured rigidly to oneof the handle-bars, a gripper secured movably to the other of thehandlebars, and a single pivot for securing the handle-bars, and themovable gripper together.

2. A nail-extractor comprising in its construction two grippers pivotedtogether, a handle-bar rigid with one of said grippers and a handle-barattached to the other of said grippers and having an independent limitedrocking movement around the pivot of said grippers as an axis,substantially as set forth.

3. A nail-extractor comprising in its construction two side bars, agripper rigidly secured between said side bars, a handle therefor rigidtherewith, a gripper pivoted in said side bars and a handle thereforhaving a limited movement relatively thereto, substantially as setforth.

4. A tool comprising in its construction two pivoted handle-bars provided with grippers, one of said bars being extended beyond the pivot and ascraper-blade adapted to be placed in said extension, said handle-barsand grippers coacting to retain said blade in place.

5. A tool comprising in its construction, a handle-bar, a driving-headprojecting laterally therefrom, and a removable scraperblade, adapted tohave its upper end secured to said handle and head, and. to have itsfree end rest against the end of the head for the purposes set forth.

6. A tool comprising in its construction two side bars, a gripperhandle-bar rigid with said side bars, and a gripper handle-bar pivotedtherebetween, a driving-head secured to the end of said side bars andhavinga socket and a scraper-blade having-a shank adapted to passbetween said side bars and a projection adapted to rest in said socket,the parts being so combined that the pivoted gripper looks thescraper-blade in place and against the head, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 16th day of July, A. D.1895.

EDlVARD D. lVOODS.

Witnesses:

C. O. STEcHER, M. B. MAY.

